After victories at the Vuelta a Andalucía and Paris-Nice in the spring and a superb classic campaign, Tadei Pogachar is the favorite to win the "Ardennes Triple": the women's Davide Rebellin (2004), Philippe Gilbert (2011), and Anna van der Breggen in 2017, despite the race's short history.

Pogachar's victory in the Amstel Gold Race confirmed his unparalleled climbing ability, already demonstrated by his phenomenal win in the Tour de Flanders; Pogachar, a member of UAE Team Emirates, next targets La Flèche Wallonne, where he will be the first woman to win the Tour de France, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and defending champion Remco Evenepole (Soudal-Quick Step).

Evenepaul is also enjoying a successful spring, with an overall win in the UAE Tour and two stages and a final podium in the Volta a Catalunya. He is preparing for the Giro d'Italia in Tenerife, while Pogachar is tearing up the classics.

The biggest challenge in Wednesday's La Flèche Wallonne will be a course that does not lend itself well to long-distance solo attacks, which Pogachar has won the last two one-day races this season. Organizers have added Côte d'Eref and Côte de Chreve to the final circuit, but there has yet to be a solo men's winner since Igor Astarloa in 2003.

"I have never had a good result there," Pogachar told Sporza. His best result was ninth in 2020. It's a difficult race for me," Pogachar said. But at this rate I think I can get a good result."

Wednesday's race is more complicated, but Liège-Bastogne-Liège suits Pogachar's abilities. But it also suits Evenpoel, who attacked on the Côte de la Redoute with 29 km to go in 2022 and won solo.

Pogachar recognized that Evenpoel would be his main rival for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Lemko comes from high altitude training. Lemko comes from high altitude training. Lemko has already won in Liège last year, and this season he is good on short and long climbs. He is also good at sprinting

"He will be one of our main opponents on Sunday. We haven't really raced against each other at the top level. When we have raced together, he has won every time and I have been far behind. I hope that won't be the case on Sunday."

At last year's World Championships, where Evenpoel took the rainbow jersey, Pogachar finished 19th. When Evenpoel won in San Sebastian, Pogachar did not finish. However, when the two faced off at Tirreno-Adriatico in 2022, Pogachar came out on top with two stage wins and the overall win, while Evenpoel lost four minutes at Monte Carpeña and came home empty-handed.